My thought is that mechanical things wear out quicker than purely electronic ones. So I would not spend a ton of money on an older CD player, even for use as a transport.
Has anyone had on of these CD players? How good are they?
Are the older Sony CD players very good? Even as just a transport paired with a good/great DAC?
CDP-X7ESD. CDP-507ESD or CDP-X707ES
Your thoughts?
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I still have an old Sony XA20ES that still works like new. It is in a secondary system at present, so doesn’t get used every day. It has a drawer, but the whole laser drive and table drive are in a slide out assembly. It takes a puck on top of the disk. I think the laser drive slides on a rail. Sony used to use a linear motor on those units. Not sure what is in this one though. I did lube the laser rails a few years ago. I think the above advice is spot on. Mechanical stuff does wear out. |
X707es would be my choice as a transport, if i had to choose between the three you mention, cannot go wrong and rarely does get better than this. One issue, check that laser is ok, normally it would last very long time, the one i had in the past is still spinning, also note that these units are not supported with spares any more.
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How much is it @2psyop ? |
I have not spotted an older Sony like these but with the magnetic drives, balanced outputs, tremendous parts...it seems like Sony put alot of effort into building a very high quality and well engineered player at the height of the CD era. If I could snag a really good x707es I might just get it and try it with a top notch DAC. BTW I have an older REGA Apollo CD player and it has a really decent sound and transport as well. It has a buffer for storage of data, that helps with the digital signal coming out correct and thus the sound as well. |
Hello, One of the biggest problems I see with these older Sony CD/SACD players is one day for no reason the laser fails. The bad thing is you cannot get parts or it was something else. I love Rega CD players but they have similar issues. So if you can get one of these ES models for $200-$300 knowing it could fail then go for it. I think you should pick one of the new $600 transports on the market like Cambridge and run it through your DAC. Another option are these older Oppo Blueray players like the BDP 83/special, 93, and 95. After the 95 people want big money. Oppo drawers have been used by Ayre, PS Audio, and of course the Oppo UHD205 which is awesome but is priced very high. I hope this helps. You are on the the right track. |
Have experience with the Sony, CDP-608ESD and it’s a wonderful deck; found it compared favorably or totally surpassed the performance of several Simaudio, Theta, Rega decks. Looks wonderful too with its walnut sides. Don’t shy away from vintage pieces. More likely you’ll be totally happy than disappointed if purchased from a reputable audio outfit or enthusiast. These older Sony players are almost always offered at very reasonable prices too so,... Just my opinion. |
I have mixed emotions about the common attitude that they will all wear out. Yes, in time all mechanical devices wear out, BUT how much time does it take for a CD Transport? Now, I have destroyed a number of Cassette players and they were NEVER made with any reliability. I even wore out a couple of Professional models. Now when considering something like a CD transport it is hard to say. I would much rather agree with one comment about the Laser burning up than the CD motor or its track bearings. At least when talking about a better quality unit. Another analogy I would make is my HEPPA Air Filter. It is a relatively inexpensive unit and its fan has been running for 4 years straight, and the only time it has been turned off was at the periodic filter changes and once recently where I totally disassembled it for cleaning. This fan has only cheap oilite bronze bearings and has not missed a tick. I would have to say, "How much do you trust the previous owner's word on how much wear the device has had? Was it in a smoking environment? What BRAND and Model is it and how much engineering went into the device? How OLD is it really? How much is the device being sold for and are you willing to buy lottery tickets? If you can't answer any of these questions I would say get a new unit. |
I have a 608 ESD purchased new in 1989 that still works flawlessly. I also have an X77 ES that I believe is circa 1992 which I purchased used some 20 years ago for $350 that is used primarily as a transport which also works flawlessly. I also have the flagship X7ESD from 1989 which has developed an issue whereby the sound intermittently stops although it appears the laser is still operable as the track readout continues. I appreciate the build and material quality of these players. How long they ultimately last is any one’s guess. Looks like I might find out unless I die first.
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They were fantastic. I had a 507. But they are now quite old and repairs are nearly impossible, and so very risky to purchase for a main system. If you're putting together a vintage system, great. I was given an old PS Audio transport with a drawer that wouldn't open. But I was familiar with the sled it used (9Pro) and replaced the teflon gear that gets chewed up over time on all of them. Just one of the adventures you can look forward to! Have fun! |
If you can get it for say $300 CDN or less, go for it. If any more I'd definitely recommend the AudioLab 6000CDT. Not a lot of money (got mine used for $550 CDN) and its wonderful, and new/current. No built in DAC so transport only focused on power supply and simple uncluttered design for max sound quality. You want a transport so,,,,,,,,, |
In the last 2 years I had 2 cd player laser mechanisms die; Pioneer PD 65 and Marantz HD CD -1. In both cases mechanisms were no longer available through the manufacturers. I managed to run down a mechanism for the HD-CD 1 BUT is was $150 + shipping from asia. I got super lucky and bought a Audiolab CDT 6000 from a guy who had 2, and sold it super cheap, including shipping. Give it both a high quality coax cable and power cord and it's a shocker. If you do regular searches you can find one for ~ $400-450 hth |
I recently ( within the last 6 months) acquired a Sony XA777ES. I have to say that I have been a total believer in analog sound and have dedicated my systems to 90% vinyl listening. This CD player is absolutely astonishing. Although SACD capable the many red book CDs that I have sound unbelievable on it and closely approximate the analog vinyl experience that I have with really excellent equipment. If you can get a good deal on one of these things, you should not hesitate. |
I’ve wanted the Sony XA7ES, but not without a spare laser, and they are unobtanium. If I buy one, it might run just fine for twenty years, or it might die within an hour. And then I’ll be left with an amazingly intricate expertly designed and constructed expensive boat anchor. If I can find the laser… |
eBay: Also some belts are listed.
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